Donald Trump has pardoned Michael Flynn, his former national security advisor who had previously pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia's ambassador.

As per BBC News, Flynn was convicted of lying during an investigation into alleged voter Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The pardon was condemned by Leading Democrats, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi describing it as "an act of grave corruption and a brazen abuse of power".

However, now the White House has said that the full pardon would finally end "the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man".

Following Flynn's 2017 admission of lying to the FBI, he attempted to withdraw his plea, and he responded to Trump's declaration of his pardon on Twitter with a US flag emoji and a Biblical verse, Jeremiah 1:19.

The verse says: "'They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord."

Taking to Twitter, President Trump said it was a "great honor" to grant the pardon, writing: "It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon.

"Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!"

Flynn requested to withdraw his guilty plea in January, claiming that he had been duped into this admission, despite initially cooperating with investigators.

The Department of Justice has been running a campaign for much of this year seeking for his charges to be dropped, BBC News reports.

Trump was warned against hiring Flynn by his predecessor Barack Obama less than 24 hours after he was first elected to power in November 2016.

However, within days of his election, Trump appointed Flynn, with the pair having the same views on a number of issues including the advantages that could come from closer ties with Russia, the renegotiation of the Iran nuclear deal, and combating the threat posed by Islamic State militants.

Supporters of Flynn have maintained that he was the victim of a political vendetta by the outgoing Obama administration after the election of Trump in 2016.

The former director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, concluded that there was Russian interference in the 2016 election; however, he found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the White House described Flynn as "the victim of partisan government officials engaged in a co-ordinated attempt to subvert the election of 2016".

Donald Trump has pardoned Michael Flynn, his former national security advisor who had previously pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia's ambassador.

As per BBC News, Flynn was convicted of lying during an investigation into alleged voter Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The pardon was condemned by Leading Democrats, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi describing it as "an act of grave corruption and a brazen abuse of power".

However, now the White House has said that the full pardon would finally end "the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man".

Following Flynn's 2017 admission of lying to the FBI, he attempted to withdraw his plea, and he responded to Trump's declaration of his pardon on Twitter with a US flag emoji and a Biblical verse, Jeremiah 1:19.

The verse says: "'They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord."

Taking to Twitter, President Trump said it was a "great honor" to grant the pardon, writing: "It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon.

"Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!"

Flynn requested to withdraw his guilty plea in January, claiming that he had been duped into this admission, despite initially cooperating with investigators.

The Department of Justice has been running a campaign for much of this year seeking for his charges to be dropped, BBC News reports.

Trump was warned against hiring Flynn by his predecessor Barack Obama less than 24 hours after he was first elected to power in November 2016.

However, within days of his election, Trump appointed Flynn, with the pair having the same views on a number of issues including the advantages that could come from closer ties with Russia, the renegotiation of the Iran nuclear deal, and combating the threat posed by Islamic State militants.

Supporters of Flynn have maintained that he was the victim of a political vendetta by the outgoing Obama administration after the election of Trump in 2016.

The former director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, concluded that there was Russian interference in the 2016 election; however, he found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the White House described Flynn as "the victim of partisan government officials engaged in a co-ordinated attempt to subvert the election of 2016".